April 16, 2010

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois gave up 15 runs to Michigan in the first three innings and wasn't able to mount a comeback as the Wolverines took a 17-1 win in front of 769 fans at Illinois Field Friday. Catcher Aaron Johnson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and second baseman Christian Cummins was 2-for-4 as the Illini fell to 15-14 overall, 3-4 in the Big Ten.

"We didn't hit and we didn't pitch," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "We didn't throw good enough pitches to give ourselves a chance to win."

Michigan (21-11, 5-2) scored first in the top of the first after consecutive doubles to start the game. After an out, catcher Chris Berset lined a single to right, plating another run to put the Wolverines up 2-0.

The Maize and Blue added seven runs on six hits, two walks and a hit batter as Will Strack came on in relief of Kevin Manson during the second inning while Michigan increased its lead to 9-0.

Illinois looked to start a comeback in the bottom of the second when third baseman Brandon Hohl and right fielder Craig Lutes drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. But the bottom of the Illini order couldn't move them around and the Wolverines held onto their nine-run lead.

Michigan tacked on six more runs in the third, taking advantage of four walks to start the inning and punctuating it with a three-run homer by first baseman Mike Dufek to go ahead 15-0.

Reliever John Anderson, who took the ball from Strack in the third inning, gave up a leadoff single to Wolverine shortstop Derek Dennis, but Dennis tried to stretch it to a double and was thrown out at second on a bang-bang play. Shortstop Josh Parr then made a nice play up the middle to put out Michigan center fielder Patrick Biondi and Anderson struck out UM second baseman Anthony Toth to set the Wolverines down in order.

Anderson found a groove in the fifth, inducing consecutive groundouts to Christian Cummins at second base before striking out Michigan DH Coley Crank to end the inning in 10 pitches. Anderson gave up consecutive singles up the middle to start the sixth before getting a double-play ball hit to Hohl, who touched the bag at third and threw across the infield for the second out. Anderson induced a flyout from Dennis to end the inning and keep the Wolverines off the scoreboard.

Illinois scored its lone run of the night in the bottom of the sixth when catcher Aaron Johnson lifted a 1-0 pitch to center field and the breeze took it far enough that it bounced off the top of the wall and into the batters' eye for a solo home run, making the score 15-1 in Michigan's favor.

Anderson gave up a two-out single and double to surrender a run in the seventh and Michigan added another run in the eighth as the Illini junior reliever gutted through a career-long six-inning, 97-pitch outing. Wes Braun pitched a scoreless ninth but the Illini weren't able to mount a last-inning rally as the Wolverines took a 17-1 win.

The Illini and Wolverines return to Illinois Field for game two of the series Saturday at 3 p.m. Right-hander Kevin Johnson will start on the mound for Illinois, while southpaw Bobby Brosnahan will take the ball for Michigan.